Closer to the woods

Haukåsen Kindergarten in Trondheim is the first BREEAM certified kindergarten in Norway achieving a ‘Very good’ rating. Troldtekt acoustic panels were the natural choice in this rebuilding project centered around wood.

The original building was poor so the local authority decided to rebuild as part of the ‘Tree Town Trondheim’ project withhigh environmental aspirations.

The Kindergarten’s construction is a combination of massive wood walls and wood stud walls clad with plywood, while interior supporting walls and surfaces consist of prefabricated solid wood. It has four distinct departments, two catering for very young children plus two large paediatric areas, and is designed so that children spend much of their time outside in the highly forested area.

To reduce the footprint, it is arranged on two floors both of which can easily be accessed from outside including via a bridge from the higher part of the site. Corridor lengths have been reduced to a minimum giving universal access to all the facilities. Window sills are lowered to maximise views while interior doors are finished with brightly coloured foil depicting images of nature. The idea is to maximise the experience of every child, to help them build confidence and develop a sense of belonging between the youngest, the oldest and the adults.